Activities, actions and tools

How to participate?

It is important to make concrete efforts to counter homophobia. The human effort to do so is exactly what creates change and enables mentalities to evolve. The International Day Against Homophobia on May 17th is the perfect opportunity to make such efforts.

Participation

The International Day Against Homophobie and Transphobia campaign is the perfect occasion to do your part to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and there are tons of ways you

Organize activities, discussions, and conferences, have public personalities participate in them, and encourage the media to get involved;

Organize rainbow-flag-raising ceremonies;

Submit articles to be published in newspapers;

Encourage key players in civil society to recognize the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and to participate in the campaign.

Raising the Rainbow Flag

Get involved in the nationwide plan to raise the Rainbow Flag on May 17 for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Wherever there’s a flagpole, you can fly a Rainbow Flag.

The six colours represent various facets of LGBT communities: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for art, and violet for spirituality. The Rainbow Flag is the world’s most recognised symbol of LGBT diversity. Created by San Francisco based artist Gilbert Baker, the Rainbow Flag was first used in 1978 at Gay Pride in San Francisco.

Model letter to municipal board or bourough council to request the Rainbow Flag be raised and for a motion to proclaim the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (Word)

Model motion to proclaim the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (Word)

Here are some initiatives that people can take within their environment:

Schools and School Boards

May 17 will be an exceptional moment to:

prohibit discrimination against, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-identified students, as well as students who are harassed due to perceptions of their gender identity or sexual orientation. More information (Word);

It’s the right moment to let their children know that from now on slurs such as “fag(got)”, “dike”, “homo” and any other derogatory remarks toward gays and lesbians will no longer be tolerated at home and that they will have to eliminate these words once and for all from their vocabulary out of respect for gays and lesbians and their immediate families.

Libraries

Clearly displaying books on homophobia.

Employers

To set up programs against homophobia in the workplace.

Trade unions

To organize awareness activities in the workplace.

Community groups

To heighten awareness among their constituencies.

Broadcasters

To present special reports and documentaries on the subject.

Newspapers

To publish reports and in-depth articles on the subject.

Radio station

To call upon artists and personalities to speak on the subject, and to play songs about tolerance.

Internet diffusers

To take out or to refuse any homophobic content.

Gays and lesbians who wish to do so

To “come out” of the closet.

Legislators, governments, municipalities and school boards

To approve a motion in support of the International Day Against Homophobia, and to make a commitment to fight homophobia. Download thedraft for proposed motion (Word).

The general public

To make a symbolic gesture.

Taking action in schools

Being unaware of sexual orientation and gender identity related issues is a source of prejudice. The fight against homophobia and transphobia calls for giving people information on and demystifying sexual orientation and gender identity. Education and awareness-raising begin with small actions at school.

Ally networks

Ally networks are networks of health, social services, education, and community organisation professionals who have expressed the wish to act as resource persons for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people (LGBT).Pink Triangle Services supports and encourages such networks. MyGSA.ca is an initiative of Egale Canada and your link to an interactive space for queer Canadian youth and educators and allies.

Training programmes

A training program entitled Pour une nouvelle vision de l’homosexualité (Toward a New Vision of Homosexuality) is being offered to teachers. Adapted to the needs of professionals from the health and social services network and from community groups, this programme is handled by the Ministère de la Santé de des Services sociaux du Québec.

Student groups

We can encourage student groups to show how they are open to gay and lesbian issues and to discuss them. What these groups need is support from adults.

School planners

If it hasn’t been done already, the address section of planners for students can feature the names, addresses and phone numbers of organisations who provide services for LGBT people. Click here for more information about adding the contact information of Gai Écoute, a Canada-wide bilingual helpline and information centre for people concerned with questions related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Inviting a guest speaker

Learning institutions can invite guest speakers to the classroom to share personal stories related to their sexual orientation. Organisations such asGRIS(Research and Social Outreach Group), provide this service in Quebec.

Hanging posters

Hanging a poster on the wall at school says a lot. In addition to the information a poster provides, its simple presence in a school shows that the school is open to gay and lesbian issues.

Your events

Place : UBC, VancouverOrganizer : Faculty of EducationDate : 19 May 2017, 12:12Description : Day of SOGI Education Actions: Teacher Education students and Faculty will surround a lifesize photo of a queer couple and a trans youth with heart shaped sticky notes with messages of individual commitments to stand up, speak up and teach about sexual and gender diversity.

Place : Vancouver Community College – Downtown CampusOrganizer : Positive Space CommitteeDate : 17 May 2017Description : The Positive space Committee welcomes all members of the college community and the public to join us in the main foyer of the downtown campus to share information and celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Place : Burnaby Central Secondary schoolOrganizer : Burnaby District SOGI committeeDate : 17 May 2017, 08:00 amDescription : Burnaby’s IDAHAT breakfast, this is the fourth year that Burnaby is having their International Day again Homophobia and Transphobia. We invite all our secondary GSAs to attend, as well as members of our District SOGI committee. Trustees and other School board staff also attend.

Place : McDonald Park, VictoriaOrganizer : PFLAG Canada Victoria ChapterDate : 9 July 2017Description : PRIDE Festival 2017, we will use the posters, pamphlets and stickers at our local PRIDE Festival in Victoria, BC being held on July 9th as well as at school presentations done by PFLAG Canada Victoria Chapter throughout the year.

Place : Chalmers Elementary SchoolOrganizer : SOGI Leaders at the schoolDate : 19 April 2017Description : Rainbow Day, ee held a “Rainbow Day” at our school in April and had a school-wide assembly to promote acceptance and to teach our students about the rainbow stickers on some of our classroom doors. We have been sharing SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identification) books with all of our classes from K-7 in our library.

Place : Winnipeg Tax CentreOrganizer : Canada Revenue AgencyDate : 17 May 2016, 12 AMActivity : Lobby display and presentation on transgender livesDescription : A presentation and talk about concerns within the trans community, and lobby display with LGBTQ material, resources. Event is open to CRA employees, no public access at this location.

Place : NORTHWEST ANGLE (DOG PAW) FIRST NATIONOrganizer : MARIA BLACKHAWK, ADDICTIONS WORKERDate : 217 May 2017, 12pmDescription : GAY ABORIGINAL HISTORY AND FILM FESTIVAL, BEGINS WITH A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN ABORIGINAL GAYS IN HISTORY AND FOLLOWED BY FILMS “BOYS DON’T CRY” AND “BENT” ENDING WITH TALKING CIRCLE

Place : Meadowvale Public SchoolOrganizer : PS GSADate : 17 May 2017Description : Let’s Learn About Transphobia and Homophobia, the students who are members of the GSA/QSA will spend one or two 40 minute periods in each classroom doing activities suited to that age group. At the end of the activity, the student representatives will answer any questions that their peers may have.

Place : Church of the Resurrection, HamiltonOrganizer : ChurchDate : 17 May 2017, 19hDescription : A Church (Anglican) Eucharist where all are welcome. Guest speaker- Maurice Tomlinson international campaigner for LGBTQ rights. Guest Priest – Rev. Tom Dekker- Chaplain to Canada’s Armed forces.

Place : HamiltonOrganizer : Canada Border Services Agency, GLBTQ+ CommitteeDate : 17 May 2017Description : Awareness for employees of Canada Border Services Agency. Posters will be put up in offices and communications will be placed on internal CBSA website.

Place : Holy Cross Catholic Secondary SchoolOrganizer : David Welsh D
ate : 17 May 2017, 9amDescription : Students will organize and lead and activity for our student body that promotes acceptance and tolerance of LGBTQ* community.

Place : Toronto Film School, School campusOrganizer : Talia SingerDate : 17 May 2017Description : Discussion and awareness raising with college students

Place : Eastwood Collegiate Institute, KitchenerOrganizer : Greg TollerDate : 17 May 2017Description : Poster/announcement campaign in the week leading up, allies can sign a banner on the day of the event.

Place : TorontoOrganizer : Diane FoyDate : 17 May, 02:30pmDescription : UK artist Tim Arnold is releasing a powerful song and music video for Sexuality, Gender, Diversity and Racial Equality titled “What Love Would Want.” Tim will perform on the streets of Toronto while supporters hand out #whatlovewouldwant buttons & flyers and IDAHOT pamphlets, holding posters. 3pm – Kensington Market, 4pm – Yonge/Dundas Square, 5:15pm – Harborfront, 6-9:30pm – Private event boat cruise where Tim is performing the song with a choir. 11pm – Tim will close a show at the Opera House with the song.

City : RéginaOrganization : All Nations Hope Network Inc.Date : May 17Activity : Homophobia and Transphobia: Is there a difference?Description : The event will put together information made easy for the general public to get an understanding of what Homophobia and Transphobia is. The materials that were ordered will be given out, we will set up booths with information. There will be a bar-b-que to accompany this event.

Place : Protective Services Building, JasperOrganizer : OUT JasperDate : 17 May 2017Description : Flag Raising and speeches by the Mayor and other Dignitaries. We do this every year to spread awareness for international day against homophobia, Transphobia and Biophobia and it is always a major success.

Place : CBSA, CalgaryOrganizer : GLBTQ+ CommitteeDate : 17 MayDescription : To promote awareness for CBSA employees in Calgary. Posters will be put up in 3 Calgary offices and information will be posted on the internal website.